Notre Dame has created a "huge lead" for a top-100 recruiting target who could help complete an elite Fighting Irish class

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Could Notre Dame be expecting some more good 2027 recruiting news in the near future? They continue to trend for a top target.

With the momentum that Notre Dame football is riding the last couple of weeks, it appears that head coach Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish are poised to sign another elite overall group in 2027. There are several priority targets still out there, which include a couple of very talented ones on the offensive line.

Notre Dame was able to land a commitment from 2027 Jersey City (NJ) St. Peter’s Prep offensive tackle Olu Olubobola this week, which was a great step to put together an elite haul for offensive line coach Joe Rudolph. With Olubobola, James Halter, and Richie Flanigan now in the class, the attention turns to Middletown (Delaware) Appoquinimink four-star offensive tackle Layton von Brandt. The former Penn State commit has been a priority since he decommitted back in October.

As others and I have reported over the last several months, the Fighting Irish are the team to beat for v0n Brandt, and that lead is substantial. Rivals national recruiting analyst Steve Wiltfong continued to double down on that fact. In his report, he described Notre Dame as having a “huge lead” over programs like Florida, Penn State, and Auburn.

At this point, it would be extremely surprising to see von Brandt land anywhere other than South Bend. He is a player that they are extremely high on. Imagining him in the 2027 group is extremely enticing and exciting for the future of the offensive line.

Layton von Brandt’s recruiting background

Von Brandt is considered a four-star player by all major recruiting platforms and a near-consensus top-100 player by each. On the 247 Sports Composite ranking, Von Brandt ranks as a top-60 player, sitting at No. 64 overall, the No. 5 offensive tackle, and the No. 1 in the state of Delaware for the 2027 recruiting class. That is not a traditional area for Notre Dame to target, but Von Brandt is just that good and could be bordering on five-star status in the end.

Even before Von Brandt committed to the Nittany Lions in November of 2025, there was a long list of impressive suitors pursuing the talented offensive lineman. The 6-6.5, 281-pound offensive tackle has an extremely impressive offer list. When you turn on his film, it is easy to see why.

Some of the top schools that have offered him include the Fighting Irish, Penn State, Ohio State, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, Missouri, Auburn, Indiana, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Boston College, Virginia, UNC, Stanford, Syracuse, and Rutgers, among several others.

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